The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-10-26
HOW ABOUT BAILEY?
Fifty-four Bath Citizens Want Him
for Constable.
Mayor Wakefield Opposes With a
Vigorous Speech.
Is There More Drunkenness In Bath
Than Before for Fifty Years?
Especial to the Press. ]

so warm before the Governor and Council
two years ago, was resumed in the board
today. The following gentlemen represent
ing the petitioners were present, all of Bath i.
Francis Adams, Esq, counsel; Rev. j. l..
Hill, of Wesley Church; Rev. T. f. White,
of Elm Street Baptist Church; Rev. j. Rem
lex, of North Street Baptist Church; Asa
Palmer. Henry Palmer, F. Nettle. Capt
Charles Patten, Capt. Parker Oliver, James
Bailey, and S. S. Holmes. Hon. J. w
Wakefield, mayor of Bath, opposed the ap-
pointment Of Bailey. Hon. VIM. Rogers of
Bath was in attendance.
Francis Adams, Esq, opened the hearing
for the petitioners by presenting the petit
ton, on which were 54 names. An extract
from the petition reads:
"In thus addressing you we wish to represent
that the prohibitcry laws now on the statute
books are not enforced in this locality either by
the county or municipal officers as manifestly
shown by the numerous cases of intoxicated per-
sons seen daily OH our streets, by the open and
lawless manner that individuals carry on the bus
iness of disposing of intoxicating liquors, thus
causing great disorder and suffering"
Mr.. Adams asserted that the laws were not
enforced by the county ard local officers and
referred to the hearing two years ago, when
objections to one of the gentlemen who was
asked for by the petitioners. At that hear
ing, which was in November, 1885, they had
been given to belve that the law would be
enforced, but he couldn't see any improve
ment since then. Mr.. Adams spoke in praise
OF Mr.. Bailey and said he was free from
vices and his example was good one for the
young men. MIR. Adams did not believe
Bath was city of drunkards, yet there was
a large amount of intoxication: and he held
rum was freely sold there and many old
stagers were allowed to carry ON their bust
ness without being disturbed.
The report of the attorney general for the
past year was cited to show that while in ev-
cry other county in the State there had been
indictments by grand juries of men engaged
in the liquor traffic, in Sagadahoc there were
none. The report of the city marshal of
Bath for the year ending March /, 1887, was
quoted from, showing that there had been
102 committals for drunkenness during the
year, while an examination of the police
records for the period from April to Octo-
Der %, 1887, showed 124 commitments. The
speaker stated that the law makes it manda-
tory for the sheriffs to enforce the law and
he didn't think they had done their duty in
his county.
Mr. Asa Palmer read list of over so rum
shops in Bath, designating their location, in
Guiding apothecary shops. He stated fear
lessly that the law was not enforced in
Bath. He had seen officers enter Bath drink
ing saloons, stay long enough to get drink.
mt ipin ba;r a..
Palmer made stirring appeal for protection
from King Alcohol. He had never seen
so much drunkenness during the 80 years he
had known Bath as for two years past. The
of things was dreadful
Rev. j. l.. Hill of Bath, who recently came
from Scotland, was astonished to see the
amount of drunkenness in Bath, and count
ed AZ intoxicated persons in a few weeks.
He didn't think the mayor was in sympathy
with the temperance men, and asserted that
the city officials were with the liquor sellers
Mr.. Adams read an order introduced into
the Bath Common Council June 1st 1887, in
Structlng the officers to enforce the law. The
order was tabled in the board of aldermen.
Rev. j. Remick gave his observations as to
the enforcement of the liquor law in Bath.
He had seen much drunkenness and cited an
instance where he thought the officers had
not done their duty.
Here the petitioners rested their case and
Hon. D.. w. Wakefield made one of his char
acteristic speeches in opposition to the ap-
polntment OF Bailey, speaking vigorously
three quarters OF an hour. The burden of
his remarks was reiteration of the bribery
charges made against Bailey two years ago.
he was astonished that "a respectable citi-
zens of Bath should come to Augusta before
the Governor and Council and attempt to
condone crime or ask that board to be party
in condoning crime. If these gentlemen
when at home would band together in a sys-
tenlatic effort to destroy the liquor traffic in
Bath they would drive every drop of liquor
from that city and build monument to their
memory more lasting than Scripture. "In stat
ing the amount of drunkenness in our city,"
he said. sit should be noticed that, as shown
by the record OF the collector of the port
John II. Raymond, over $4,000 sailors stop
there annually, many of whom are given to
intoxicaton."
He denied that there had been more intox-
icatlon for two and one-half years past than
at any time subsequently for 30 years. On
the contrary from his observation there had
been better order during the two and half
years than ever before. During the two
years of James Bailey's administration as
city marshal, especially on.the Sabbath day,
there had been an unusual increase of
drunkenness. The law did not require him,
personally, to enforce the law and serve
warrants. He had told the men who came
to him If they would sign warrants he
would see that they were served. The
reading of the statutes was that the mayor
and board of aldermen jointly shall enforce
the law.
The thing has simmered down, he said. to
the question of appointing, not State con-
stables, because made no opposition to the
appointment of these officers if the Governor
and Councilsee the necessity of it, but Solo
mon ). Holmes and James Bailey. | make
N n fn ho h,,+T I a
sider. Mr.. Bailey as suitable man for the
position.
Mr.. Wakefield cited the police records to
show that Mr.. Bailey made but few seizures
OF liquor as compared with the previous city
marshal.
Mr.. Wakefield then made specific charges
OF bribery against Bailey and asserted EN-.
phatically that when in office Bailey had at
different times received bribes from rum
sellers. He could sustain his assertions in a
court Of justice and dared Bailey to sue him
for libel. This city marshal had also taken
illegal fees from prisoners and had sup
pressed search warrants in his possession.
The affidavits of Thomas w. Hyde, Hon
VIM. Rogers, VIM E. Hogan, John W. Bal
Brown, P. Brown, Cyrus w. Longley. F. P.
Sprague, E. P. Dunnell, J. W. Wakefield and
others were presented as evidence. From
them it appeared that James Bailey at two
different times accepted $40 from the pro-
prietor of the Sagadahoc House as hush"
money.
Mr.. Wakefield also presented an abstract
from the city records of Bath condemning
Mr. Bailey and read the answer of the Gov
ernor and Council to the petitioners two
years ago, when they refused to appoint Mr..
Bailey because they did not regard him as a
suitable man by reason of his former record
when City Marshal of Bath.
In the afternoon further hearing was
given, the petitioners presenting evidence in
rebuttal. Mr.. Wakefield was absent, Mr..
Adams read the affidavit of Eben b, Nav
berry, proprietor of the Sagadahoc House
when Bailey was marshal, in which he de-
clared that he never bribed, or attempted to
bribe said Bailey, nor attempted TO influence
him with money, or by any other means, to
prevent the full execution and enforcement
of the law; also the affidavit of Geo. +. Mus
tard that Mr.. Wakefield accused Bailey of
taking money, which the latter denied; also
of Nelson Ham, an old police officer and
constable, VIM. II. Mains, that they never
knew of Bailey's doing anything crooked,
and he had always followed the rumsellers,
endeavoring to enforce the law.
James Bailey himself was then sworn, and
in extended remarks, occupying upwards of
two hours, he gave his experience as citv
marshal and the difficulty he had met with
in enforcing the law because of Mr. Wake
field. He began with his first election as
city marshal in 1875, and went over the
three years during which he held that Office.
He signed warrants and served them.
Mr.. Bailey said he never confessed to TAX
ing bribes before Messrs. Wakefield, Dom
nell, Brown and Rogers. He did receive $40
and blank piece of paper in an envelope
once but never knew where it came from un-